Where to find round the clock food in LA

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, a few of us NYC-dwelling editors discovered a startling truth -- every restaurant closes down around 10 p.m., just the time we Easterners are finishing up work and post-work drinks and preparing to eat.

After scouring every Cheesecake Factory-style restaurant in a 20-mile region, we stumbled upon what we later learned to be an LA institution, the open-all-night Original Pantry Café. Around since 1924, city mayor Richard Riordan bought the place to save it from demolition a few years ago. It's known for a limited menu (think steak and eggs) that diners read off the wall, and insanely fast service. The restaurant, though it only has 84 seats, serves up to 3,000 people daily.

Its location, on South Figueroa Street is close to both the Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, and L.A. Convention Center.